Review

These Systems Are Failing came out of nowhere at a time when Moby seemed to have completely sunk into a subdued comfort zone. Animal rights activism, charity work, alongside advocating for environmental safety, anti-racism, women's rights & veganism among others have become a focal point for him in the past years. Still, constantly railing against Donald Trump and the Republican Party on the social media and in interviews divided his fan base (much like Filter’s Richard Patrick’s case and a large number of other artists). Addressing all these issues on the above mentioned LP over an '80s new wave-meets-hardcore punk soundtrack brought the needed urgency that both his lyrics and music lacked lately. He was always a punk at heart, so seeing him return to his roots and early influences was interesting and fun. Now, less than a year later, he and The Void Pacific Choir (backing band consisting of musician friends and producers) are back with a grittier counterpart appropriately named More Fast Songs about the Apocalypse.

Utilizing the same formulas, these tunes are tight, loud rockers that blend the likes of New Order, Joy Division, as well as some Black Flag's energy. Compared to These Systems Are Failing, More Fast Songs about the Apocalypse relies a tad more on heavy washes of distorted guitars, whereas the beats are considerably more aggressive and often pushed to the forefront in the mix. ‘Silence’, ‘Trust’ and especially ‘A Happy Song’ make use of pounding drums, murky guitars and an armada of ‘80s-style synths. The latter is one of the heaviest, chaotic cuts Moby penned so far, fully showcasing his punk side. ‘Silence’ and ‘Trust’ are friendlier, using some melodic progressions too among powerful sing-alongs during the choruses. If the predecessor was presenting us social/political vulnerabilities, this album sounds like it details them right from the front through adequate music.

MFSatA is at its most touching when tracks equally blend the heavy and melodic parts. The middle section is the perfect example, since ‘All the Hurts We Made’, ‘In this Cold Place’ and ‘If Only a Correction of All We’ve Been’ are the most potent moments. Much like ‘Are You Lost in the World Like Me"’, the former features brilliant choruses over raving beats and contrasting nostalgic synth pads & piano leads. ‘In this Cold Place’ is a more reflecting piece that occasionally displays euphoric bursts with Moby detailing how everything is out of control. The conclusion to the message these songs send is that some try hard to maintain a certain balance (whether environmental, social, political or even personal), while others just want to watch the world burn.

In the end, More Fast Songs about the Apocalypse does exactly what the title implies. Use them for fueling your protests, take the lyrics and do your researches on the presented issues or just head bang furiously to them and shout along. As Moby’s career took this interesting turn in the past couple of years, many fans of his who support the Republican Party lash out at his beliefs. Unfortunately, what we hear on this LP is as true as it can get. These blunt realizations are meant to raise some actual questions in your head or bring that impulse for you to do something about them before more irreversible damage gets done to Earth. Of course, the people who have substantial financial resources and influence are the ones who could easily make an observable change (thankfully, some actually do!), however, anything helps. From a vote for the better political party, recycling that plastic bottle you drank from, being kind to the person next to you, spreading true news of social/political nature (as fake ones appear constantly and naive people believe anything they’re shown), the tiniest gesture is important in the grand scheme of things. Musically, many of the songs here are not as melodic as the ones on TSAF and rely a bit too much on those blueprints. Nevertheless, the lyrics matter most in my opinion, while the music is just as engaging and easily sucks you in its universe. Dig it!